T
The420Guy
Guest
CONCORD -- Proponents of legislation to legalize marijuana for
medicinal purposes are seeking to convince the House Health, Human
Service and Elderly Affairs Committee that marijuana can be safely
prescribed for alleviating pain or controlling painful side effects of
other currently legal drugs such as interferon.
Yesterday the committee heard House Bill 721, which allows doctors to
prescribe marijuana for treatment.
In the recent past, the Legislature has repeatedly defeated attempts
to legalize the drug based on opposition from the New Hampshire
Medical Society and law enforcement officials.
Opponents contend that no solid scientific evidence exists to support
arguments that marijuana is useful for treating anything that can't be
dealt with by using already legal medicines.
The medical society continues to oppose legalization because it
believes that marijuana is a dangerous drug, and that treatment of
vomiting associated with chemotherapy can be controlled by using
marinol, a legalized derivative of marijuana. Proponents argue that
terminal cancer patients should be allowed to use marijuana to control
severe pain.
Dr. John Dalco of the medical society told the committee that the use
of marijuana as a pain killer or palliative is outweighed by such
possible harmful side-effects as hypertension, particularly for
elderly users, short-term memory loss, and dry eye that could lead to
corneal damage.
Respiratory problems can also be heightened through marijuana use,
Dalco said. Dalco and others also dispute claims that marijuana is
useful for treating glaucoma.
However, one witness who declined to divulge his name because he has
admitted to using the drug to combat pain associated with hepatitis C,
spoke in favor or the bill. He said he found marijuana to be very
helpful to him in controlling the painful effects of interferon, a
virus-fighter used to control hepatitis.
Peter H. Giese, representing the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs
of Police, said the bill is another attempt to legalize marijuana in
general and could lead to severe enforcement problems in the illicit
production and sale of the drug.
Newshawk: MarthaG
Pubdate: Tue, 06 Mar 2001
Source: Union Leader (NH)
Copyright: 2001 The Union Leader Corp.
Contact: TheUL@aol.com
Address: P.O. Box 9555 Manchester, NH 03108-9555
Website: unionleader.com - Manchester, NH
Author: Warren Hastings, Concord Bureau
medicinal purposes are seeking to convince the House Health, Human
Service and Elderly Affairs Committee that marijuana can be safely
prescribed for alleviating pain or controlling painful side effects of
other currently legal drugs such as interferon.
Yesterday the committee heard House Bill 721, which allows doctors to
prescribe marijuana for treatment.
In the recent past, the Legislature has repeatedly defeated attempts
to legalize the drug based on opposition from the New Hampshire
Medical Society and law enforcement officials.
Opponents contend that no solid scientific evidence exists to support
arguments that marijuana is useful for treating anything that can't be
dealt with by using already legal medicines.
The medical society continues to oppose legalization because it
believes that marijuana is a dangerous drug, and that treatment of
vomiting associated with chemotherapy can be controlled by using
marinol, a legalized derivative of marijuana. Proponents argue that
terminal cancer patients should be allowed to use marijuana to control
severe pain.
Dr. John Dalco of the medical society told the committee that the use
of marijuana as a pain killer or palliative is outweighed by such
possible harmful side-effects as hypertension, particularly for
elderly users, short-term memory loss, and dry eye that could lead to
corneal damage.
Respiratory problems can also be heightened through marijuana use,
Dalco said. Dalco and others also dispute claims that marijuana is
useful for treating glaucoma.
However, one witness who declined to divulge his name because he has
admitted to using the drug to combat pain associated with hepatitis C,
spoke in favor or the bill. He said he found marijuana to be very
helpful to him in controlling the painful effects of interferon, a
virus-fighter used to control hepatitis.
Peter H. Giese, representing the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs
of Police, said the bill is another attempt to legalize marijuana in
general and could lead to severe enforcement problems in the illicit
production and sale of the drug.
Newshawk: MarthaG
Pubdate: Tue, 06 Mar 2001
Source: Union Leader (NH)
Copyright: 2001 The Union Leader Corp.
Contact: TheUL@aol.com
Address: P.O. Box 9555 Manchester, NH 03108-9555
Website: unionleader.com - Manchester, NH
Author: Warren Hastings, Concord Bureau
